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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 2024.

The Things They Say!

Hudson Music: Lance's "Bebop Spoken Here" is one of the heaviest and most influential jazz blogs in the UK.

Rupert Burley (Dynamic Agency): "BSH just goes from strength to strength".

'606' Club: "A toast to Lance Liddle of the terrific jazz blog 'Bebop Spoken Here'"

The Strictly Smokin' Big Band included Be Bop Spoken Here (sic) in their 5 Favourite Jazz Blogs.

Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

Holly Cooper, Mouthpiece Music: "Lance writes pull quotes like no one else!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Paul Edis - Not Like Me / Just Like Me Album Launch @ The Lit & Phil. Nov. 19

Paul Edis (piano)
(Review by Jerry)
I have always found it difficult reviewing gigs involving my son and have usually sought to deflect accusations of bias by ensuring that most of my comments focus on other performers in the band or at the microphone. A solo concert affords no hiding place! However, consanguinity should be no barrier to plain speaking so here’s a fact: that I am biased does not mean that Paul is not brilliant. He is: the gig was and the double CD will be! (I have still not heard it all on disc and look forward to seeing it reviewed by impartial listeners on this blog and elsewhere). Paul, being (in the words of another audience member) “so self-effacing”, will probably be mortified by the foregoing parental effusion but no matter – all three of our children are familiar with the old saying: “You can choose your friends but….”
The concert was well attended (30 – 40 people) and quickly took on an intimate, almost party-like atmosphere as Paul’s introductions , delivered without microphone, developed into chats with the audience. Two sets covered 20 tunes in all – 6 from the first CD, Not Like Me (till now available only as downloads), 11 from the new CD, Just Like Me and 3 that Paul announced as “off-piste”. These last required no apology consisting as they did of Jobim’s One Note Samba (played as an encore), a beautiful version of Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me and Paul’s frantic, funny anthem to ADHD, Distraction(dedicated to the i-phone generation)!
Beautiful, funny, dexterous and sensitive are the adjectives cropping up most in my notes and, in a way, summing up both the compositions selected and the manner in which they were performed. Bring Me Sunshine (here dedicated to two family members who loved this version), Distraction and My Favourite Things all demonstrated amazing dexterity and raised smiles of recognition all round. Coltrane’s Giant Steps, played “slowly” (really???) and in the manner of “Art Tatum on a very, very bad day” drew whoops of appreciation having incorporated stride and several other styles I am unable to name before finishing with an outrageous glissando. “I never said it would be tasteful”, said Paul.
A new tune to me was Nostaloptimist – a coinage for someone who is simultaneously nostalgic and optimistic. As a Sunderland fan, I AM such a person (1937, 1973 and Premiership Champions 2016/7!) and enjoyed this suitably light, jolly tune with hints of Secret Love and all sorts of echoes of TV themes from the 60’s onwards.
For “beautiful” and “sensitive” there was the Gershwin and the Monk (Round Midnight) and two originals, For Kathleen and Sunset. This last was introduced (self-effacingly?) as a “kind of ballad”. That both were “tasteful” goes without saying. Greensleeves and Country Gardens were both tasteful and dexterous and along with Cerebral (with references to Bach) and Vince (with references to Wagner) illustrate an eagerness to embrace all musical genres – if it’s good music, it’ll make good jazz!
As a last word on the dexterity of performance, it was noticeable that about two thirds of the audience chose to sit at the far end of the room where there are good sight-lines to the keyboard and the performer’s hands. Says it all, really.
There are 24 tunes on the double CD which is attractively packaged with design input, as always, from Paul’s “wonderful wife”, Kate. Both discs were recorded at the Lit & Phil with Adam Sinclair overseeing production – so the quality is assured. A snip at £10 but don’t take my word for it – check it out yourselves!
Jerry (Edis)

1 comment :

Anne DeVere Harper (on F/b) said...

amazing talent wish we could come over more often!!!

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